Safety ash tray



July 29, 1.952

c. H. KEMME 2,604,891

SAFETY ASH TRAY Filed Nov. 14, 1951 INVENTOR 44 5K, 'Jwwm y BYE f .5?,

ATTORNEYS Patented July 29, l1952 UNITED STATES .P'EENTA OFFICE SAFETY ASH TRAY Claire H. Kemme, Glen Cove, N. Y.

Application November 14, 1951, Serial No. 256,188

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a safety device for ash trays.

'Ihe invention has for its object the provision of a tiltable trough at the edge of the ash tray for holding the unextinguished cigarette, and spring actuated means responsive to heat transmitted to said means as the cigarette burns shorter, for tilting the trough suliiciently to deposit the cigarette in the ash tray.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same reference characters have been used to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety device embodying the principles of the invention, the lfragmentary portion shown, of the ash tray to which the device is attached, being in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end elevation, viewed from the righthand side of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Most frequently one takes the precaution of placing the unconsumed but still lit cigarette in the trough of the conventional ash tray, with the lit end inward and overhanging the ash tray. However, the cigarette frequently continues burning until it overbalances and falls out on the table or carpet. Figures l and 2 show the cigarette having burned almost sufficiently short to fall from the outer end of the trough.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I designates an ash tray, which represents any conventional ash tray such as would be provided with a trough within which to lodge the cigarette. The device of the present invention is attached to the ash tray. It may be manufactured as part of the ash tray or may be sold as an attachment later to be applied.

The safety device comprises a base 2, which is a strip of stiff sheet material having a bent up lug 3 at the back, which affords means for securing the base to the ash tray. As shown in Figure 3, the securing means is rivets, but any other means is the equivalent, such for example as a clamp. Adjacent the ash tray the base 2 has spaced parallel bent up ears 4, which afford support for a hinge pin 5 which bridges the space between them. The base 2 preferably extends horizontally in the direction away from the ash tray.

The reference numeral 6 represents the cigarette trough which may be of any suitable material such as metal or plastic. It is convex, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. At its inner end, that is, the end which lies adjacent the ash tray, it has the bent down ears 1 which t freely against the inner sides of the ears 4, as shown in Figure 5, and has aligned apertures which receive the hinge pin 5. In this manner the trough 6 is hingedly mounted upon the base 2. A bimetallic strip 8 is suitably mounted on the trough 6. In the drawing, said strip passes through a slot I4 in the trough, that portion within the trough lying longitudinal along the bottom thereof adjacent the ash tray, and being secured to the trough by the rivet I5. The lit end of the cigarette will contact the bimetallic strip. The lower portion of the bimetallic strip is bent to form a latch 9, which embraces the outer end of the base 2. The characteristic of the bimetallic strip is that when heated it tends to straighten and thus to release the latch end from the base 2.

A spring l0 reacts between the base 2 and the trough 6. Said spring has an intermediate portion I l freely coiled about the hinge pin, and end portions l2 and I3 which engage respectively the upper face of the base 2 and the lower side of the trough 6. The spring is normally under compression when the latch 9 is in engagement with the base 2. When the latch is released the ends of the spring expand, that is, move resiliently away from one another, tilting the trough about the hinge pin suciently to cause the cigarette to slide down into the ash tray.

In operation, the trough 6 will normally be set in horizontal position by pressing it down until the latch 9 snaps about the end of the base 2. The cigarette, normally placed in the trough, will lie upon the bimetallic strip. The lit end at rst may project over the ash tray so that its heat is not immediately communicated to the strip, but as it burns, the lit end reaches a position in which the heat will be communicated to the bimetallic strip, causing the latter to straighten and release the latch, whereupon, the spring acts to tilt the trough to deposit the cigarette in the tray.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be an efcient and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction and the arrangement of parts, as shown, are by way of illustrating the principle of the invention and not to be construed as limitations.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an ash tray having a rim, and a safety device secured thereto adjacent said rim comprising a base, a cigarette trough above said base hinged relative thereto, a spring reacting between said base and trough biasing said trough toward a position to deposit a cigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a thermally deformable member having one end fixed to said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said base normally to hold said trough in a substantially horizontal position against the bias of said spring, and being deformable responsive to heat transmitted to it by a lit cigarette in said trough, to release said latch means thereby releasing said spring.

2. In combination, an ash tray having a rim, and a safety device comprising a base secured to said ash tray and a cigarette trough-above said base hingedly supported thereby, a spring reacting between said base and trough biasing said trough toward a position to deposit a cigarette from said trough into said ashtray, a thermally deformableA member having one end fixed to the said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said base normally to hold said trough in a substantially horizontal position against the bias of said spring, and being deformable responsive to heat transmitted to it from alit cigarette in saidtrough to' release said latch means thereby releasing'said spring.

3. In combination, an ash tray having a rim, and a safety device comprising, a base secured to said ash tray and al cigarette trough above said base hingedly supported thereby, a spring reacting between said base and trough biasing said trough toward a position todeposit a cigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a bimetallic strip having one lend fixed to said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said base normally to hold said trough in a substantially horizontal position against the bias of said spring, said bimetallio strip being responsive toheat transmitted to it from a lit cigarette in said trough to releasev said latch means thereby releasing said spring.

Li. In combination, an ash tray having a rim, and a safetydevice comprising a base secured to said ash tray and a cigarette trough above said base hingedly supported thereby, a spring reacting between said base and trough biasing said trough toward, a position to deposit a oigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a bimetallic strip fixed to said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said 'oase normally to hold said trough in a substantially horizontal position against the bias of said spring, said bimetallic strip being responsive to heat transmitted to it by a lit cigarette in said trough to release said latch means thereby releasing said spring, said bimetallic strip being so positioned as to automatically latch said trough to saidbase when said trough, while unheated, is manually pressed down againstthe bias of said spring.

5. In combination, an ash tray having a rim, and a safety device comprising a base secured to said tray, said base having upstanding spaced lugs adjacent said tray, a cigarette trough above said base having 'down turned spaced ears closely lapping said lugs, said lugs and ears having aligned holes therethrough, a hinge pin extending through said aligned holes, a spring having its intermediate portion coiled about said hinge pin andits ends reacting between said base and trough biasing said trough toward a position to deposit a cigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a biinetallic strip having one end iixed to said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said base normally to hold said trough in substantially a horizontal position against the bias of said spring, said bimetallic strip being responsive to heat transvlnitted to it in a lit cigarette in said trough to release said latch means thereby releasing said spring, said birnetallic strip being so positioned as to automatically latch to said base when said trough, while unheated, is manually pressed down against the bias of said spring.

6. A safety attachment for ash trays comprising two hingedly connected members, one being a cigarette trough and the other a base supporting said trough, said trough being above said base, the latter having means for securing said attachment to the ash tray with its hinged end adjacent the ash tray, a spring between said base and trough biasing the latter toward a position to deposit a cigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a bimetallic strip having one end secured to said trough and having latch means at its other end engageable with said base to normally hold said trough in substantially a horizontal position against the bias oi said spring, said bimetallic strip being responsive to heat transmitted to it by a lit cigarette in said trough to relase said latch means thereby releasing said spring, said bimetallic strip being so positioned as to automatically latch to said base when said trough, while unheated, is manually pressed down against the bias of said spring.

7. A safety attachment for ash trays comprising two hingedly connected members, one being a base having laterally spaced upstanding lugs adjacent one end, the other being a cigarette trough having downwardly turned ears at one end closely lappingsaid lugs, a hinge pin extending through aligned holes in said lugs and ears, means for securing said attachment to an ash tray with its hinged end adjacent said ash tray, ay spring having its intermediate portion coiled about said hinge pin and its ends reacting between said base and trough biasing the latter to a position to deposit a cigarette from said trough into said ash tray, a birnetallic strip fixed toV said trough having a portion adjacent said hinge pin extending longitudinally on and within the bottom of saidtrough, and a normally curved portion beneath said trough, said latter portion having latch means at its free end engageable with t-he free end cfsaid base normallyA to hold said trough in a substantially horizontal position against the bias of said spring, said bimetallio vstrip being responsive to heat transmitted to it by a lit cigarette resting upon the portion of said strip within said trough to release said latch means thereby releasing said spring, and said bimetallic strip being so positioned as .to automatically latch to said base when said trough, while unheated, is manually pressed down against the bias of said spring.

CLAIRE I-I, KEMME.

No references cited. 

